April 25, 2012

Why I Won’t Diagnose

I have never taken insurance in my counseling practice even though it has cost me a lot of business. Instead, I would much rather charge less than half the going rate just to avoid doing this kind of harm to my clients. You see, accepting insurance carries with it the necessity of labeling. Any time you use insurance to see a therapist, in order to get paid they have to give you a label or diagnosis. That label of bi-polar, anxiety, depression, ADD, or whatever else they decide you have becomes part of your permanent medical record and will most likely factor into future health insurance costs, coverage, and eligibility. It can also impact whether or not you can get certain jobs. If you are put on certain medications, the negative results can be compounded by affecting life insurance eligibility and rates.

The second reason I resist labeling is because of what it can do psychologically. It can easily take one’s hope away for improvement. Clients can go to five different therapists and get five different diagnoses. It is not an exact science. At best, it is an art that in the best of circumstances is only descriptive of symptoms experienced up to the point of diagnosis. It should not be used as a predictor of future behavior. Unfortunately, in this age of the internet and instant access to research and information, the diagnosis and the symptoms that go with it are often used as a definition of who the client is and gets in the way of growth. After all, if I am “bi-polar” how can I expect to regulate my severe mood swings. Many times adolescents are given this diagnosis at a time known for severe mood swings due to hormonal reasons. The hormones regulate but the diagnosis and medications, as well as the stigma and self-limiting tapes, can last a lifetime. As another example, a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder can cause one to rely on medications rather than learn coping mechanisms designed to increase the ability to focus.

I can’t tell you how many times clients come to me with heavy duty labels and have no hope of getting better because they believe the label defines them. Once I get them to see their strengths and the truth about labels growth finally begins.

I do have a word of caution here. There are some situations where people genuinely need medication and the label to receive proper treatment. I am well aware of when this is the case and am more than happy to make the referral to the appropriate professional. It is just that this should be the exception rather than the rule. Unfortunately, in the field of mental health, diagnosing someone is the norm rather than the exception.

If you are looking for a therapist who will focus on your strengths and believe in your ability to grow, contact me and together we will walk down the path of health and healing. Please don’t settle for living in your pain just because someone gave you a label in order to get paid by an insurance company.